Nut-lock.



A. E. HOLMES.

NUT LOCK.

APPLICATION F|LED JUNE 17, 1914.

LMQQM Patented July 13, 1915.

N era ALFRED E. HOLMES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM J.

, MOHR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

NUT-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, I915.

Application filed June 17, 1914. Serial No. 845,531.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED E. HoLMEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Nut-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to nut locks, and the object of the invention is to provide a key capable of automatically gripping-the thread of the bolt at any point thereon, said key being capable of being readily withdrawn from the nut at any time to enable the latter to'be removed from the bolt with out damaging either the nut or the bolt.

I accomplish my object by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a bolt and nut embodying my invention. Fig.2 is an end View of a nut showing the key in position therein. This view shows the condition of the nut before the metal thereof is swaged over the top of the key for re taining the latter. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the nut on the line 8-3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4: is a perspective view of the key.

Similar characters of reference denote like parts in the several views.

The bolt a is of standard construction, requiring no special slotting nor unusual formations. The nut Z) is, in the main, of standard size and shape and while I have here shown it in the form of a square nut it will be understood that nuts of hexagonal or other polygonal outline may be employed with like effect. In one end of the nut, preferably the outer end, I form a key-way of special configuration. It consists of two communicating channel sections 6 and 6 arranged at an acute angle to each other when viewed from the end of the nut as in Fig. 2. The inner branch or section b of the keyway communicates with the central opening 6 of the nut. The outer branch or section 6 extends to the side of the nut to afford access to the outer end of the key to remove the same in the manner hereinafter described. The inner branch or section of the keyway closely fits the key for a portion of the length of the latter near the apex of the keyway, but beyond this point flares toward the central opening of the nut. Consequently the key is securely held to its workand caused to grip the threads of the bolt when an attempt is made to unscrew the nut. As the inner portion of the inner branch of the keyway is flaring it affords room for the movement of the nose of the key to permit the nut to be screwed up upon the bolt.

The key 0, which is shown separately in Fig. 4, fits within the keyway and is constructed of a strip of steel of uniform width and thickness. Said strip is pressed to V-shaped form as shown, the two legs or sides of the V forming an acute angle with each other. The inner leg 0 is long enough to project slightly into the central opening b of the nut to engage the thread of the bolt. The outer leg 0 extends approximately to the side of the nut where it may be reached by a drift pin or chisel for removing it as will be hereinafter described.

The depth of the keyway is slightly greater than the height of the key, thereby rendering some of the metal of the nut available for swaging over the top of the key for holding the same in place.

In operation, after the key has been introduced into the keyway, the nose of any suitable swaging tool is applied to the end of the nut adjacent to the keyway and the metal of the nut is forced or swaged over above the key. This effectually prevents the key from falling out and at the same time permits the key to be removed when desired, for the swaged metal may be removed or forced back by a chisel or other suitable tool. The inner end or acting nose of the keyway, normally projecting as it does slightly into the center opening in the nut engages the thread of the bolt and prevents the same from being unscrewed. The walls of the keyway cooperate to prevent the nose of the key from receding and hence holds the nut securely locked. This, however, does not prevent the nut from being tightened on the bolt, for the flare at the inner portion of the keyway permits the key to yield without interfering with the thread of the bolt. The keyway is so placed in the nut that the inner leg of the key lies approximately radially. Consequently the thrust created in resisting the unscrewing of the nut is directed against the metal of the nut, especially at and near the apex of the keyway. The result is that the key is backed up by a considerable area of metal with a consequent reduction in the danger of failure of the device when subjected to pressure.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A nut lock comprising a nut having a V shaped channel sunk in the end thereof, the inner branch of said channel communicating at the inner end With'the central opening of the nut, and the outer branch being open at the outer end to thereby afford access to the key from the side of the nut, the angle between the two branches being acute and the inner branch flaring toward the central opening of the nut, and a V shaped key in said channel, the outer branch of the key making a comparatively tight fit with the outer branch of the channel, the height of the key being somewhat less than the depth of the channel whereby a portion of the nut may be swaged over the key to hold the same in place, the inner branch of the key projecting into the central opening of the nut for engaging the bolt.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED HOLMES. Witnesses HOWARD M. Cox, KATHRYN S. READY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

